


Accusations

by justacatastrophe



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: #MarinetteDeservesBetterAlways, Episode Fix-It: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, F/M, Gen, Miraculous Ladybug Spoilers, Season 3 Spoilers, Some angst, The Author is Salty, also i should mention, and chloe is with her mom in new york, and the class being wRonG, hints at adrienette but like, there are no superhero appearances, this is about marinette being upset, yeah...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2019-09-27 16:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17165081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justacatastrophe/pseuds/justacatastrophe
Summary: A Chameleon salt/spite fic.





	1. the offense

Marinette ran as fast as she could, blowing right by the custodian in an effort to make it to class on time. She shouted an apology over her shoulder as she rushed up the stairs. She paused, taking a deep breath and gathering herself before walking into class.

The scene in front of her was familiar, yet so very different. People were chatting, laughing, and exchanging pleasantries, but they were all in different places. Marinette took in the room, her eyes landing on the empty spot next to Adrien. She grinned before sneaking over to Alya. "I don't know how you managed to convince everyone to switch seats so that I could sit next to Adrien, but thank you! This is awesome!"

Alya shot her a confused look. "What do you mean? That's Lila's new seat - Nino gave it up for her because of her hearing issue."

Nino, who was sitting next to Alya, waved. "Hey, dude!"

Marinette's mind was a little too preoccupied to respond, shock rippling through her. _Lila was back? The manipulative liar? The one who pretended to be friends with a ton of influential people, including Ladybug? The one who turned into a superhero-based akuma and pretended to be another Miraculous wielder?_

Apparently, her face showed her unpleasant reaction, because Alya's eyebrows shot up. "Is everything okay, girl? Are you not okay with sitting in the back?"

Shaking her head, Marinette tried to explain. "Yeah- Well, no- I mean, I'm just a little confused. What did you say about her hearing?"

At that moment, Mme. Bustier drew their attention to the front of the classroom. "Hello, class! As you may have heard, Lila has returned from her trip around the world and will be rejoining us here at Françoise Dupont."

As if on cue, Lila glided in. "Hello, everyone! I'm  _so_  glad that I'm back with you all!" Clapping her hands together, she eyed the seat at the front of the class... The one which was conveniently next to Adrien. "And I'm so happy you remembered my disability!" Lila gushed. "You are all so sweet!"

"Sorry, but apparently I've been out of the loop. What disability?" Marinette inquired. Suspicion began to rear its head at the girl's sugary-sweet demeanor.

As if rehearsed, Lila immediately began to explain. "I have tinnitus - ringing in my right ear. It happened when I was saving Jagged Stone's kitten from being run over by an airplane on the airport runway." A bright, practiced smile shone on her face.

Marinette narrowed her eyes, the details not lining up. "I thought Jagged Stone had a pet crocodile?"

Lila kept her grin, though the radiance of it dimmed slightly. "He had a kitten last year. He couldn't keep the poor thing after finding out he was allergic." The class hummed in sympathy, but Marinette wasn't buying it.

"Is something the matter, Marinette?" Mme. Bustier questioned.

"I'm sorry, Mme, but I don't understand why I was moved to the back of the class." Though her tone was the epitome of politeness, her insides churned with aggravation. Lila was clearly lying, and the underhanded tactic just to sit next to Adrien left Marinette with a bad taste in her mouth.

"Well, everyone already chose their seats; the only ones open are the front and back of the class. I mean, I  _could_  move to sit in the back, but then I wouldn't be able to hear very well. It's simply easier for you to be in the back," Lila said, her tone a little too sharp for Marinette's liking.

She looked to Mme. Bustier, resisting the urge to call Lila out for her behavior and settling on a more passive approach. "I don't mean to be rude, it's just that I think I do better when I'm close to the front of the class... I'd like to not be at the back."

At that comment, all eyes turned to her. She was startled to see disbelief, annoyance, and even anger in some of her classmates' eyes!

"Marinette, Lila has a  _hearing disability_." One classmate stressed. "She can't be in the back."

The room was quiet. Mme. Bustier looked worriedly at the seated classmates, then turned her gaze onto the two girls. Lines creased her forehead as she tried to think of a diplomatic solution. Marinette could feel the eyes of everyone upon her and flushed in embarrassment. Her request was coming off to others as an overreaction to moving seats and a refusal to help a girl in need of assistance. She bit her lower lip and shrunk down a little, hands itching to wring themselves into oblivion.

"I can move if Marinette wants to sit up in the front," volunteered Adrien, though Lila was quick to jump up and implore him to stay in his seat. This action caused Marinette to shrink down even more. Shaking her head and muttering, "never mind, it's fine," she trudged to the back and sat down. She remained silent for the entire morning, receding into herself and looking away when she caught others' eyes. No one seemed to offer any comforting gazes; they were all the same hard glares of disapproval. It all felt so out of character for her classmates! Marinette didn't know what to do. By the end of the period, Alya really started to worry about her. As soon as the bell rang, the redhead grabbed Marinette's arm and pulled her to the side of the hallway.

"What's going on, girl? It seems like you have a big problem with Lila, but you barely know her!" The reporter crossed her arms, impatiently waiting for a response. "Well?"

Marinette looked away, internally debating how to explain the situation without revealing that she was Ladybug. "I- It's just- Argh, I just  _know_  she's lying, Alya!" She burst out. "She doesn't have tinnitus, she didn't save Jagged Stone's kitten, she doesn't even know Ladybug! All she does is spout lies in order for people to pay attention to her, and that rubs me the wrong way."

Alya furrowed her brows. "Do you have any evidence for these claims?"

"Not physical evidence," Marinette admitted, "but I know for a fact that Jagged Stone has never owned a kitten in his life. I- I also saw Ladybug yelling at her in the park when she first came to school." A fib on her part, but necessary to protect her identity. "I'm not sure what that was about, but I don't think 'besties' would yell like that. I mean, we've gotten into fights, but it's never resorted to anything like the scene I saw."

Shaking her head, Alya responded, "I'm pretty sure more people would have seen something if Ladybug was arguing with anyone. And if that happened, there would be posts online about it. It doesn't add up..." Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, and Marinette stiffened under the girl's gaze. "Wait a minute..." Alya's voice was laden with accusation. "Are you telling me this because you  _actually_  think she's lying, or that you want to sit next to Adrien?"

Marinette's eyes widened, indignant. "How could you think that of me?! I might have a crush on Adrien, but this is not because of him in the slightest! I know what I saw;  _I'm_  the witness!" She splayed a hand across her chest and flung an arm out to try and emphasize this fact, before dropping the pose. "Frankly, I'm upset that you would think I'd ever lie. I thought you knew me better than that!"

"Are you sure it's not about him? You sound very defensive..."

Marinette gaped. Alya simply waited, one eyebrow raised in question.

"I..." Marinette struggled to find words, her fury bubbling up. "I can't..."

Alya seized on her apparent loss for words, beginning to lecture. "It's okay to feel jealous, but don't just accuse others of lying in order to sit next to Adrien. That's so not--"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

The words echoed around the schoolyard, and students looked up to see the two turned towards each other, each in a defensive stance. Fists balled at her sides, Marinette faced Alya head-on. "How  _dare_  you think I would try and lie just so that I can sit next to Adrien?! That is downright insulting!"

Alya scoffed. "Which part do you find insulting, exactly? The lying, or the thinking that you're capable of such a thing?"

"Both!" Marinette threw her hands up. "I think that lying in general is abhorrent, and you know I would  _never_ \--"

"Bull."

Marinette gave her a cold stare. "... What?"

"You have one hundred percent lied to get what you want before now. How do I know this is any different?"

As if she had been punched, Marinette stepped back, her face as pale as a ghost. Realizing what she just said, Alya tried to speak, but Marinette silenced her with a hand.

"Please don't," she said softly. The familiar sting behind her eyes prevented her from meeting Alya's gaze. She turned and walked away, her footsteps unnaturally loud against the concrete floor.

 

* * *

 

Alya knew that she wasn't Marinette's favorite person at the moment, and tried to give her some space to cool down.

But then the bell rang, and Marinette wasn't in class.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Thirty.

Sixty.

One hundred.

As the clock inevitably ticked on, she became more and more restless.  _Where was Marinette? What happened to her? Was she safe?_

The air around Alya grew thick with anxiety and worry. Adrien tried to ask her about it, but Lila dismissed it and distracted him before Alya could respond. Noting this, the reporter wondered if Marinette was actually telling the truth. Upon this thought, a heavy feeling sank into her stomach and her throat closed up.

**_What had she done?_ **

 

* * *

 

The lunch bell rang, and Marinette was still missing. Alya was starting to get really concerned, but there had been no akuma sightings.  _That was good... Right?_

Alya was done waiting. One group text later, and the entire class had gathered in the park.

"Hello, everyone. I've called you all here to discuss a matter of increasing importance: Marinette."

Everyone exchanged looks before returning their focus to Alya.

Taking a deep breath, she continued. "As you all are aware, Marinette hasn't returned to school. She left after first period. Does anyone know where she is?"

Max raised his hand. "If she's not in school, she's likely at home. As her best friend, you should know this." A hard stare caused him to lower his hand.

" _Obviously_  I know she'd go home under normal circumstances, but these aren't normal. Do any of you recall how upset she was?"

Murmurs among the crowd, and then a voice piped up from the back. "Marinette was acting pretty strange when we all switched seats," Rose offered.

"Yeah, and especially when we all questioned her," Juleka chimed in.

Alya jumped on this information, pointing a finger at the couple. "Exactly. Do any of you see where I'm going with this?" People shook their heads. Walking a few paces, Alya began to elaborate. "When she was in class, we had already been sitting in our new seats. She didn't get a say in any of it - we just decided and figured that she'd be fine. When she came in, we basically shoved her into the back. I don't think that's the main issue, though. What seemed really weird to me was when Marinette was questioning Lila..." Alya paused, mulling it over for a moment. "I mean, we only really know Lila from her video chats. Marinette has no reason to distrust her, as far as I know. But for some reason, she was really focused on Lila and her tinnitus. Now that she's been in class, I'm beginning to think that Marinette was right... Her details seem to change every few minutes, and she seems really bent on keeping Adrien near her."

(At this comment, Adrien's skin turned a lovely shade of Ladybug red. Plagg's snorts had to be smothered by Adrien's fake coughs.)

"So, with all of this in front of us, I want to turn your attention back to Marinette's reaction. She resigned herself to sitting in the back, after we pretty much forced her to be there... Including me, her supposed best friend." Her shoulders drooped a little bit at that comment, and Nino wrapped an arm around her to offer some comfort. Blinking back a tear or two, Alya straightened. "We all pushed Marinette and her feelings aside. Even if I'm completely wrong and Lila is being honest, this still doesn't invalidate Marinette's feelings. We all contributed to her feeling and acting this way."

Alix spoke up. "Well, what are we waiting for then? Why don't we go right--"

The bell rang.

A collective groan rose up from the class, and Alya sighed. "I'll be taking a trip to the Dupain-Cheng bakery after school. If anyone wants to join, I'll be waiting here so we can all go as a group. Sound like a plan?"

"Yeah!"

"Of course!"

"I hope Marinette's okay..."

"We'll be there!"

 With those comments, the group agreed to meet. It was time that they figured out the truth.


	2. the investigation

A tiny golden bell chimed as the group walked into the lively bakery. The mouth-watering scent of fresh cookies wafted over the crowd, creating a cozy environment as customers waited for their food. At the register, Marinette's mother, Sabine, called for the next person in line. Alya, seizing the moment of opportunity, approached the petite woman with a casual, friendly smile. "Hi, Mrs. Cheng!"

The woman greeted her with a soft smile of her own. "Alya! What a pleasant surprise! It's so good to see you."

"It's nice to see you as well, Mrs. Cheng." Alya tried to maintain her cool attitude with her next sentence. "Actually, a group of us noticed that Marinette had disappeared from class. We just wanted to check in with her and see if she was okay. May we see her?"

Sabine's smile fell. "Unfortunately, Marinette is-" She cut herself off. "She's not allowing visitors right now. I can pass messages on to her, if you'd like?"

From behind her, Alya could hear the sighs and mutters of her disappointed classmates. As for herself, she felt her heart plummet down to her stomach. Her shoulders hunched. "That's alright, Mrs. Cheng. Thank you for your time." Turning around, Alya addressed the group. "Come on, guys. We can try again later."

Though some tried to protest (The stubborn Kim and Alix being the most vocal), Alya swiftly ushered them out of the small bakery.

"Can someone explain to me why we can't just march up to Marinette's room right now?" The spunky pink-haired girl folded her arms in a huff.

"Because that would worsen the situation and make Marinette even more reluctant to talk to us, Alix," Mylène patiently answered.

"There must be something we can do!" Adrien looked at Alya hopefully, searching for any possibility of a plan.

Alya, however, was preoccupied. Her fingers flew across her phone screen, frantically typing out a message.

**[4:41 PM] Alya:** hey mari, just wanted to see how you were doing

**[4:41 PM] Alya:** you never showed back up at school

**[4:41 PM] Alya:**  we were all worried and tried to visit you at the bakery

**[4:42 PM] Alya:**  but your mom said you weren't letting guests up?

_**Marinette is typing...** _

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:** i asked her not to

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:**  i don't want to see you guys right now

**[4:42 PM] Alya:**  mari

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:**  please don't

Alya paused her text mid-word.

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:**  i'm always there for you guys

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:**  wherever, whenever

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:**  i try my best to help you

**[4:42 PM] Marinette:**  today...

_**Marinette is typing...** _

Alya's heart leaped into her throat and stayed there, a choking presence.

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  today, none of you stood by me

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  i felt as if nothing i did mattered

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  you all thought i was the bad guy

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  i've supported you all time and time again

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  even when i had so many other responsibilities

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  but i was there for you

**[4:43 PM] Marinette:**  but no one was there for me

**[4:44 PM] Marinette:**  i just need some space

**[4:44 PM] Marinette:**  if you were truly my friend, you would understand

**[ERROR] Alya:**  marinette...

**_Message not delivered._ **

Alya's eyesight blurred. Without meaning to, she focused on the damning words.

_"if you were truly my friend."_

She wilted like a flower.

 

* * *

 

Marinette didn't show up the next day.

Alya had thought - had hoped - that she would come back, but she wasn't really surprised.

She had been a terrible friend.

As she gazed at the door, however, a new thought walked in.

Lila was laughing loudly at something Adrien had said, one hand up in a halfhearted attempt to quiet herself. The other arm was gripping the model; it was loose so that it didn't make Adrien uncomfortable, but it certainly was a possessive pose. As the two sat down in front of her, the gears in Alya's mind began to turn.

"Hey Lila!"

The Italian turned to her right and saw Alya out of the corner of her eye. She smiled widely. "Hi, Alya! How are you today?"

"Good, good." Alya nodded, her hands steepling. "I have a question for you."

"Ask away," came the cheerful reply.

"Did the doctors say when your tinnitus would clear up?"

Something flashed in the girl's eyes, but Lila was quick to bring back the sugary sweet facade. "The doctors discussed some surgical options, but my family hasn't looked into it yet. They're pretty expensive, unfortunately." Lila let out a sad sigh. "I may have to live with this condition for the rest of my life!"

"Surely one of your friends can help?"

"Hm?" Olive eyes blinked at the reporter. "Oh, you mean Prince Ali? I wouldn't want to trouble him..."

"What about Jagged Stone?" Alya continued to press, her tone light and innocent. "If you got tinnitus from saving his kitten, I'm sure that he wouldn't mind paying for it. After all, it's the least he could do after your heroism."

Lila's jaw muscle twitched, but she answered. "I... Suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask..."

Alya brightened. "Good to hear! I know that the school is very accommodating towards conditions such as yours, but I'm sure it's a big annoyance on your end, right? Having to hear that constant ringing..."

"Yeah, it's pretty annoying." Lila flashed another smile at the girl before turning back towards Adrien. "So, where were we?" But Adrien wasn't paying attention.

"Alya, have you heard anything from Marinette?"

The reporter shook her head. "I just hope she's alright."

"I'm sure she's fine," Lila interjected. "It's not like she got akumatized. They're seats!"

Adrien looked at Lila, confusion spreading across his features.

"I mean, people  _have_ been akumatized for smaller things," Alya remarked. "The girl who Marinette babysits, Manon, was akumatized because her mother took away some toys. My sister wanted to protect me from akumas and got mad when I didn't listen. There was even Sandboy, a kid who woke up from a nightmare! Hawkmoth isn't exactly particular about the negative emotion's source."

"But Marinette-"

"Has yet to become a victim." Adrien interrupted, his worry apparent.

"That has to mean _something_ , right? She's fine, we don't need to worry about her. However," Lila huffed, "we  _should_ worry about the test next period." She turned back to the boy and batted her eyes. "Adrien, can you please help me study? I swear, it's like hte information goes in one ear and out the other."

Alya narrowed her eyes. Lila was definitely lying. After a midnight study session, Alya was able to conclude that tinnitus was uncurable. There  _were_ procedures to help, but they were less than 40% successful. Additionally, she couldn't find any evidence of Jagged Stone owning a kitten, never mind a near-death experience. The facts only pointed to one thing: Lila was making it all up.

 

* * *

 

 Adrien blinked in surprise. " _What?_ "

"I know. I can't believe it either... But it all adds up." Alya sighed.

"So... How do we fix this?"

"... We need to tell everyone else. We can't have any more people be hurt by her lies."

"But what about her?" Adrien asked. In his naive mind, he was still thinking about the liar.

" _Adrien_." Alya's sharp tone caused him to stare. "She was the one who chose to lie and hurt Marinette. Personally, I think she deserves what's coming to her. She's been able to get away with it for this long; what else will she cause if she continues down this path? She'd become another Chloe: someone who basically manufactures others' negative emotions for Hawkmoth. I don't think we can permanently change her, but others need to understand the damage she could cause."

Adrien sighed. "I agree with you on that point. I'm just having a hard time thinking that Lila is capable of such meanness. I don't want to hurt her, either..."

"We aren't hurting her: she hurt herself by creating and continuing these lies, despite being given multiple chances and opportunities to tell the truth. If she decides that continuing to lie is her best bet, then we are simply making others aware of her deceit."

"... Okay."

 

* * *

 

"Alright, can i have everyone's attention, please!"

The group quieted as soon as they heard Alya's voice, though many still continued to shuffle and occasionally murmur.

"Have you heard anything yet?" One classmate called out.

Alya shook her head, the sunlight glinting off of her glasses. "I tried to talk with Marinette yesterday afternoon, but she said she wanted space. I hope you all will respect her wishes on that."

"But that's not the point of this meeting!" Adrien stepped up onto the bench that Alya stood on. "We have something else to share."

The murmurs turned to quiet exclamations of shock and surprise.

"Let me explain," Alya began. "When we last talked, we discussed that Marinette was feeling really hurt because we didn't give her a choice of seating arrangements. Some new information has come to light to prove that our entire rearrangement was unnecessary at best and harmful at worst."

Adrien continued over the group's noise. "After a lot of research and discussion, we have both reason and evidence to believe that Lila  _doesn't_ have tinnitus, and that she is making it up. I personally doubted this at first, but it's important that we expose these fabrications for what they truly are."

"My first piece of evidence: Jagged Stone. When I watched his interviews and read his articles, I noticed a big hole in Lila's story. There was no mention of any kitten, allergies to kittens, or saviors of said kitten. Fang has been Jagged's only pet for nearly fifteen years, having raised him from birth."

"Second piece of evidence: When Lila discussed her tinnitus with me, she would constantly use both her ears as if there was nothing wrong. Even when I muttered, she could pick up on what I had said. She has also switched where her tinnitus is - first her right, then her left, and now her right again."

"Third piece of evidence: When I asked Lila about tinnitus cures, she had mentioned expensive surgery. Both Adrien and I had noticed her unusual behavior after I brought up Prince Ali as someone who could help her pay for the surgery. Even more weirdness ensued when I talked about Jagged Stone. A note on this evidence: tinnitus is incurable. It  _can_ go away, but it's more likely a lifelong condition. Surgery is less than 50% successful, and most simply have to deal with it for the rest of their lives."

The group was silent. Then the bubble burst.

"So you're saying that Lila made all of this up?" Rose asked, incredulous.

"Markov has been fact checking Alya's evidence, and we conclude that she's right. Over the course of Jagged Stone's fame, he has never owned a cat," Max affirmed.

"What about Marinette?" worried Nathaniel.

"What about Lila?" Mylène fretted.

Alya looked over at Adrien, and their eyes met. They both shrugged, concern and relief sweeping over them like a flood.

That was only half of the battle. Next was Marinette's return.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, friends!
> 
> So... It's been a wild ride over on my side of the screen (US standardized tests required of a high school junior, work, camp, etc), but no worries! I'll be posting the final part ASAP - ideally in a day or two.


End file.
